In the past decade, under the strong leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping, major-country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics has navigated global challenges and contributed to world peace and development. However, the United States, with growing anxiety over maintaining its hegemony, has been playing myriad tricks to contain China based on ideological differences and cold-war mentality.
First, the US sticks to the law of the jungle
Facing acute political, economic and racial problems, the US is showing more severe “hegemonic mania”. To curb China and regain US’ post-World War II glory, the Biden administration, since taking office, has engaged in “hyena hunting tactics” with “like-minded” allies to target China in economic, diplomatic and military spheres under the banner of the “rules-based international order”.
Second, the US vilifies China by taking advantage of the Ukraine crisis
The United States views the Ukraine crisis as a good opportunity to “kill two birds with one stone” and has labeled both China and Russia as “authoritarian states” since the start of the conflict. To intensify the fear of China and suppress China, the US deliberately compounded the Ukrainian crisis with the Taiwan question to hype up a military crisis atmosphere over Taiwan, and also sanctioned some Chinese entities on the grounds of “China’s suspected military support for Russia”.
Third, the US intentionally misleads other countries
The US is obsessed with satirizing and questioning friendly cooperation between China and foreign countries, which reveals US’ “sour grapes” psychology. In the Asia-Pacific, the US is lobbying Japan, South Korea, India and ASEAN countries to get on board to confront China; in Latin America, the US is refurbishing the Monroe Doctrine by calling for caution over “China’s expansion in the Western hemisphere”. In Africa, the US is making empty promises and hyping up the “debt trap of China” narrative to drive a wedge between China and Africa.
The US wants to reinforce an international order favorable to itself and maintain its global hegemony, which is nothing more than wishful thinking.
American malaise has been laid bare
Beset by partisan fights, the vicious cycle of democratic pretensions, dysfunctional politics and a divided society has continued in the US. Problems such as money politics, identity politics, social rifts, and the gulf between the rich and poor worsened. The maladies afflicting American democracy have deeply infected the cells of US politics and society, and further revealed US governance failure and institutional defects.
In the face of public resentment, US politicians have neither the will nor the ability to solve the problems, but turn to scapegoat China. However, hyping up the “China threat” won’t cure American diseases, but will only perpetuate the ills of its democracy.
China has made great contributions to the world
In the past 10 years, China has contributed about 30 percent to global growth every year. It has won the battle against extreme poverty and achieved the poverty reduction goal of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. China follows the path of peaceful development and doesn’t tread the crooked path taken by some countries to seek hegemony once they grow strong. It also upholds the true direction of human progress by staying committed to building a community with a shared future for mankind. In the new era, China has demonstrated its strong sense of responsibility as a major country with practical actions, and has won high recognition from the international community.
The international community is more clear-eyed
Nowadays, the global economy is facing downturn pressure, and protests are breaking out in many countries. The US is still stirring up geopolitical conflicts, fanning flames in the Ukraine crisis, and seducing others to increase sanctions on Russia, dealing a heavy blow to the economy and people’s livelihoods in the US and elsewhere. US’ allies have seen more clearly US selfishness and no longer want to act as US pawns. Developing countries have also seen through US hegemony and strengthened cooperation with China.
As the Chinese saying goes — a just cause attracts abundant support, while an unjust one finds little. The international paradigm is changing from US dominance to multi-polarization, and discourse power dynamics between developed countries and developing ones are also becoming more balanced. The US’ containment of China on trumped-up charges will only draw growing criticism and opposition from the international community.
The author is a Hong Kong-based political commentator.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.